DADU: Four people were killed and several hundred others mostly children suffered heatstroke as the mercury rose to 49 degrees Celsius in Dadu, Khairpur and some other towns of the interior of Sindh on Monday.

The deceased victims were identified as Majeed Jatoi, 60, Lal Mohammed Surhio, 45, Lutuf Ali, 60, and a one-year-old boy, Abdullah Tahir Arain. All the deaths were reported from different localities of Dadu city.

Doctors at the Dadu Civil Hospital said that they received over 200 children under the age of six years who were hit by heatstroke on Monday.

Roads and streets in Dadu city wore a deserted look due to intense heat and markets, bazaars and commercial areas were closed in the afternoon.

Power outages of up to nine hours added to the miseries of the local population.

A similar situation prevailed in Khairpur city where the mercury hit the 49 degree Celsius mark and power supply remained suspended most of the day.

A large number of people suffered heatstroke and were taken to various hospitals. At least one of them reportedly died in Kingri taluka but his name could not be ascertained.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play